Ten Bowdoin College students were displaced when a pipe burst in the 16-story Coles Tower dorms early Sunday morning. The break happened following a stretch of cold weekend weather, after wind chills dropped as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit along the Midcoast.
The dorm, which houses 218 students, was evacuated at 2 a.m. after the elbow of a sprinkler pipe burst on the second floor, according to Jeff Tuttle, assistant vice president of facilities.
Following the evacuation, students were ushered into a connecting dining hall and stayed with friends until they were allowed back into the dorm at 4:45 p.m. The 10 students on the second floor have been relocated to another residence hall for the time being.
Coles Tower resident Jillian Horton said finding a place to sleep Sunday morning was stressful.
“Students were definitely frustrated with the evacuation as it was in the middle of the night and we were left to ourselves to find a place to stay,” Horton said. “Security and administration did their best to communicate updates to Coles Tower residents, but at that moment, they were not prepared for this type of situation, so it fell on the students to figure out where to relocate to.”
Tuttle said the burst pipe caused thousands of dollars in damages. He said depending on how long the flooded area takes to dry out and the availability of contractors and materials, it is unknown when students will return to their original room assignments.
“We are working hard to get them back in as quickly as possible,” Tuttle said.
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